Two individuals tragically drowned while attempting to rescue a teenage girl who was swept into the sea in Withernsea, East Yorkshire. Sarah Keeling, aged 45, and Mark Ratcliffe, aged 67, lost their lives during the incident on January 2. The search is ongoing for Mrs. Keeling’s daughter, Grace, who is 15 years old.
At the Hull Coroners’ Court, the inquests for both individuals were opened and adjourned. The East Yorkshire area coroner, Lorraine Harris, stated that Mrs. Keeling’s cause of death was drowning, with head and neck injuries playing a role. Mrs. Keeling, originally from Germany and residing in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, was described as working in international sales. Mr. Ratcliffe, a retired warehouse manager from Bradford who lived in Withernsea, also passed away from drowning, with chest injuries mentioned as a contributing factor.
Despite the brevity of the hearings, lasting only around two minutes each and lacking family members in attendance, the inquests were adjourned for further proceedings.
The tragic event unfolded when Humberside Police responded to an emergency at Central Promenade in Withernsea at 3:15 pm on January 2. According to investigations, Grace and a friend were near the rocks when a wave swept Grace into the sea. Mrs. Keeling and other bystanders, including Mr. Ratcliffe, immediately entered the water to rescue her. Emergency services, including police, coastguards, ambulance crews, and the fire department, were dispatched to the scene.
During the rescue operation, Mr. Ratcliffe was retrieved from the water unconscious and was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter. Mrs. Keeling’s body was later discovered by coastguards that same evening. Fortunately, two other individuals who entered the water managed to escape unharmed.
Remembering Mr. Ratcliffe, his family praised him as a selfless hero with a compassionate heart, who tragically lost his life while trying to save others.
